Caffeinated Clint
One of the most anticipated sequels since, well, ”Dream a Little Dream 2” is about to be unleashed onto the cinematic, er, grid.
“Tron Legacy”, as those that have been following it’s conception and been privy to it’s slow-burn juggernaut of a marketing campaign, is the sequel to a film a lot of us saw in empty theaters in 1982 – yup, “TRON” was a flop. But thanks to little black boxes, the Steven Lisberger-directed science-fictioner went on to become quite the cult favourite, ultimately finding that it’s audience was at home the day the film unspooled at cinemas.
I had friend at the Jeff Bridges’ camp over the course of this film’s development and as such, was privy to all the negotiations, natter and attempts to get the movie made. They’d actually been trying to get the film done since about 2001, if not earlier. Bridges, though intrigued at the prospect, just wasn’t that keen to do the movie. He wanted to watch it, he just didn’t want to do it. But with just a rough outline, something along the lines of ‘Bridges’ character is like Brando’s in Apocalypse Now, and someone has to go into the Grid and retrieve him’, the filmspeople continued on with their mission to twist the Dude’s – and consequently Disney’s – arm.
Bridges agreed. Now, all these years later (reminding some of us just how long-in-the-tooth we’re getting!), someone’s popped another quarter into “Space Paranoids” and that once promising franchise gets a second chance at hitdom.
We spent some time on the set of the film in Canada this year, and though impressed but what we saw/heard, couldn’t really get a grasp on, well, whether the movie was going to be any good or not. “TRON” was, after all, made in a much different climate than film’s exist in today.
“TRON Legacy” premiered in the UK last week and as such, some of the first reviews, from there in London town and over in Hollywood, have started to trickle in… and, I just want to warn you, these reviews may be too graphic for some readers. In other words, it ain’t all good. Did he really just compare it to the Wachowski’s “Speed Racer”!?
Please be wrong. I want to love this movie – I will remain determined to!
Digital Spy says : “A huge disappointment, Tron: Fallacy (as it deserves to be known) proves Shakespeare right with his prophetic “all that glisters is not gold”. For all of the hundreds of animators who spent over a year painstakingly assembling each pixel in the computer-generated world, not one person was employed who could write a competent screenplay that harnessed their efforts. ‘Back to basics’ might have been the name of an early ’90s Tory campaign that was scuppered by their MPs’ predilection for sleazy after-hours shenanigans involving pants by the ankles and oranges in mouths. Yet it needs to be applied to moviemaking. Sort out an engaging script, then think about spending a reported $200 million on making it. Or else be prepared for more 01010011. 01001000. 01001001. 01010100.”
The Hollywood News says : “One of the biggest concerns was the re-gentrification of Jeff Bridges face. This is used for the flashback at the beginning and for the protagonist who is Flynn’s younger, identical equal named Clu, built to create the perfect society by Flynn but went rogue. Now at times the CGI’d face of Bridge’s works but not that often as he does look like a claymation figure. It really doesn’t work when he’s having a face to face argument with himself either. All in all the film is good, it’s not terrific but well worth the money and time.”
HeyUGuys say : “It seems that not even Pixar-guru John Lasseter (who was rumoured to have had a go at rewriting it) could not make it more compelling. The basic storyline is Sam goes in, Sam needs to get out again with a load of challenges in the middle to get him there. And yes, the Light-Cycles, Light-Discs and Light-Jets are all cool but it felt like they were just thrown in at sporadic points. I think it lacked originality and with nearly 30 years to write a script, it could have been a little bit more structured and had a few more twists.”
HitFix say, “The largest failing of “TRON: Legacy” is that, unlike the original film, this movie does not look forward in any way, and it does not seem interested in any larger ideas. Instead, it is yet another tiresome “chase the doodad” action movie with a curiously small amount of action in it. I am so tired of watching films in which people chase around some magical item that will “destroy the world” while other people chase them around. I think the stakes in these movies are just horseshit.”
FilmShaft say : ”Tron: Legacy, like all films, has its flaws but for two hours you’ll be sucked into this dream world and you’ll savour every minute and second of this sci-fi spectacle. Some pictures were definitely made for Imax.”
Aint it Cool News say, “Whether you dig the story or not, even the naysayers are going to be blown away by the visuals of the film. The aerial number that takes place on the race to the I/O tower… I think another 5 viewings are in line, just to attempt to process what I was seeing. It’s visually beyond stunning.”
IGN say, “First time feature director Kosinski delivers thrills and a touch of heartache inside a very impressive palate of colors and noise. And I’m not afraid to admit that, as completely muddled and incomprehensible as modern action sequences have become, I enjoyed the fact that our heroes and villains were color-coded.”
Clothes on Film say “There are flourishes of brilliance, particularly in score, costumes and set design. However, this brilliance is often buried beneath messy, disjointed action sequences and a story that fails to make any sense at all.”
Screen Junkies says, “I love the metaphysics this story suggests. Tron had hints of the possibilities, but Legacy explores the images of ourselves, manifested beings and the idea that the pursuit of perfection is corrupt.”
The Hollywood Reporter says, “In fact, the recent film Tron: Legacy most resembles — in its lustful embrace of high technology, the combat-game format, corporate control angle, enduring father-son allegiance and fundamental silliness — is the Wachowskis’ Speed Racer. To be fair, the premise of the current film is more intriguing, as it’s built around a rescue mission in which, to retrieve Dad, the son must venture into the grid designed by his father but subsequently taken over by “programs” led by his old man’s doppleganger.”
I have no words.
My verdict tomorrow.
